What Happened on June 10th – Ben Franklin, a Kite and a Thunderstorm

Ben Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s a time when there was much unknown about electricity. He spent most of the decade conducting experiments and on June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a Leyden jar when the kite is struck by lightning, enabling him to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships.